Drugs intended for parenteral administration are typically stored in a medicinal vessel either as a dry powder or as a solution. The solution can be ready for immediate use or in the form of a liquid concentrate which requires reconstitution with a physiological solution prior to administration in a similar manner to a dry powder drug. The physiological solution can be provided in a pre-filled syringe or a medicinal vessel.
Medicinal vessels typically fall into one of three categories. The first type is a vial or a glass bottle closed by a rubber stopper which can be penetrated by a puncturing tool, for example, a needle, and which is self-closing upon withdrawal of the puncturing tool. Such a vial or glass bottle can contain a single dose or a multiple dose of a drug. The drug contained in a vial can be under a high vacuum. The second type is an ampoule whose top portion is broken off enabling access to its contents. The third type is an IV bag provided with a sample port for enabling access to its contents. The sample port can be of the pre-slit septum type.
Regardless of the manner in which a drug is stored, there is a need to transfer fluid under sterile conditions before its administration to a patient by a dispensing tool be it a needle, a pre-slit septum, or the like. When a prior dilution of a drug is required, the process requires at least two fluid transfers. The problem of ensuring proper fluid transfer under aseptic conditions is especially acute in the case of self-administration of drugs by patients in their homes.
Assemblies which have hitherto been proposed for the aseptic administration of drugs are described in U.S. Pat. Nos: Des. 271,421, 3,618,637, 3,757,981, 3,826,261, 3,957,052, 3,977,555, 3,993,063, 4,051,852, 4,564,054, 4,604,093, 4,721,133, 4,758,235, 4,967,797, 4,997,430, 5,201,705, 5,269,768, 5,279,576, 5,288,290, 5,334,163, and 5,466,220, and European Publication Nos: 0 258 913 A2, 0 195 018 B1, 0 192 661 B1, and 0 416 454 B1.
In particular, EP 0 521 460 B1 describes a fluid control device for use with a syringe and a pair of medicinal vessels. The fluid control device includes a housing with a Luer-connector port for receiving the syringe and second and third ports each comprising an adaptor having a fluid conduit member extending into the interior of a medicinal vessel when attached thereto. In the housing, a flow control member is slidingly displaceable from a first flow control position enabling a flow path between the two medicinal vessels when connected and a second flow control position enabling a flow path between one of the medicinal vessels and the syringe.